Adjustable damper



Feb. 6, 1934. B. w. WHITE ADJUSTABLE DAMPER Filed May 5, 1932 Swan ton Patented Feb. 6, 1934 1,946,008 ADJUSTABLE DAMPER Ben W. White, Blythevillc, Ark.

Application May 3, 1932. Serial No. 608,967

5 Claims.

This invention relates to dampers and more particularly to an adjustable damper for use in connection with a fireplace chimney.

An object of this invention is to provide a damper construction which may be readily mounted in any conventional fireplace flue or chimney in a position where the fire or heat from the fireplace will not affect the operation of the damper.

Another object of this invention is to provide a damper construction such that it can be mounted in a position sufiiciently remote from the fire so that in the event it is necessary to replace any of the fire bricks in the fireplace, the damper construction will not be affected thereby.

A further object of this invention is to provide a damper construction of this kind with telescoping or overlapping wall members which permit the mounting of the device in fiues of various sizes, the walls of the damper being made of relatively thin sheet metal of a thickness suflicient to prevent warping or distortion under the action of the heat passing up through the flue.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be described in and in part be understood from the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a device constructed according to the preferred embodi-.

ment of this invention mounted in a flue of a fireplace which is shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the box.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the damper adjusting means.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates generally a fireplace flue of conventional construction which has an open fire box 13 and a front wall 11 disposed above the floor of the fireplace. A boxing generally designated as 12 is mounted within the flue l0 and this boxing comprises a pair of relatively large L-shaped wall members 14 having one leg thereof longer than the other, the short leg 15 of each of these wall members 14 comprising the end wall of the boxing.

Another pair of L-shaped members 16, which are provided with end wall members 17, are adapted to overlap the longer leg of the L-shaped members 14, and each of the long legs of the members 14 and 16 is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 18 through which securing bolts or rivets may be disposed to hold these members in adjusted position relative to each other. c a 1 The end plates or walls 15 and 17 are also provided with apertures 19 to receive securing bolts or rivets so as to hold these end members in adjusted position relative toeach other; vThe; side walls of the boxing 12 are provided with outstanding L-shaped brackets 20 which are rela-'- tively short in length and are disposed closely adjacent the ends of the boxing, and these L-shaped members are secured to the side walls by means of rivets 21 or the like. The horizontal leg of these brackets 20 is adapted to extend into the space between bricks in the fiue or between the ends of tile members so as to hold the boxing 12 against longitudinal move ment within the flue l0. 1 f

A damper, generally designated as 22, is rockablymounted within the boxing 12, and this damper 22 is also made in a'pair' of sections 23 and 24 which have the inner ends thereof overlapped and secured together byumeans of bolts or rivets 25 or the like. The maindamper section 23 is provided with a bearing 26 in the present instance constructed in the form of a length of pipe which issecured to one face of the plate 23 by means of straps 27 which engage the pipe or bearing 26 adjacent each end thereof.

The plate section 24 is also provided with a bearing 28 adjacent one end thereof, and an elongated headed pin or rod 29 is adapted to extend through one end of the boxing 12 and telescope into the bearing members 28 and 26, V

and a second or relatively short headed rod 30 is adapted to extend through the opposite end of the boxing l2 and into the pipe or tube 26 so as to rockably support the damper 22 within. 1

the boxing 12. damper 22 is disposed at one side of the longitudinal center of the damper so that it will swing downwardly into closed position. The damper 22 is of a width greater than the width of the boxing 12 so that when it is in closed a Preferably, the bearing of the u 22 so that when the damper 22 is in completely open position, it will engage the stop and this stop is so disposed that the damper cannot be swung past the vertical center so as to prevent the downward gravitating swinging movement of the damper into closed position.

A flexible member 32 in the form of a chain or the like has one end thereof secured to a bracket 33 carried by the damper 22, and a notched bar 34 is secured to the opposite end of the flexible member 32 and extends downwardly toward the open end of the fireplace, and this notched bar 34 slidably engages an apertured bracket 35 secured to the inner surface of the forward wall of the fireplace.

A ring 36 is secured to a link 37 which is secured to the outer end of the notched bar 34 and this ring is adapted to be grasped by the hand so as to pull the damper 22 into open position or permit it to fall by gravity into closed position. In practice, this bracket 35 may be constructed in the form of a screw having a loop or eye through which the notched bar is slidably disposed.

In the mounting of the damperherein disclosed in a flue, the boxing 12 may be adjusted as to length and width so that it will snugly fit within the flue 10 with the brackets 20 and 21 extending into the wall so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the boxing relativeto the wall. Through the medium of the telescoping damper plates 23 and 24 and the slidable bearing construction, the damper 22 can be adjusted as to length to fit the extended size of the boxing. The flexible cable or chain 32 can be extended outwardly of the fireplace where it is convenient for operation. The boxing 12 in the present instance is preferably mounted in a position above the top of the fireplace and within the flue 10 so that the deterioration of the fire bricks under the action of the heat will not have any effect on the mounting or operation of the damper.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device as set forth comprising a boxing open at the top and bottom, a damper and means for rockably mounting the damper within the boxing, said boxing including a plurality of L- shaped wall members, and means for securing the wall members in overlapping position whereby to adjust the boxing relative to length and width.

2. A device as set forth comprising a boxing open at the top and bottom including a plu rality of L-shaped wall members, means for securing said members in adjusted position relative to each other whereby to provide a rectangular boxing, a damper, and means for mounting the damper within the boxing for rocking movement.

3. A device as set forth comprising a boxing consisting of a plurality of L-shaped wall members, means for securing said members in adjusted position relative to each other whereby to provide a rectangular boxing open at the top and bottom, a damper, said damper including a pair of plates, means for securing the plates in longitudinally adjusted position relative to each other, and means for rockably mounting the damper within the boxing.

4. A device as set forth comprising a boxing including a plurality of L-shaped wall members, means for securing the wall members in adjusted position relative to each other to provide a rectangular boxing open at the top and bottom, a pair of damper plates, means for securing the plates in longitudinally adjusted position, said plates having a width greater than the width of the boxing whereby to dispose the damper in an angular position when in closed position, bearings carried by the plates at one side of the transverse center of the plates, a flexible operating means, and a stop carried by the boxing to engage the damper and limit the swinging movement thereof in open position. i a

5. A device as set forth comprising a boxing consisting of a plurality of L-shaped wall members, means for securing said members in adjusted position relative to each other whereby to provide a substantially rectangular boxing, means for mounting the boxing in a flue, a pair of damper plates, bearings carried by each of said plates at one side of the transverse center thereof, means for securing the plates in longitudinally adjusted position relative to each other, and a pair of headed pivotal members extending through the boxing and engaging .the bearings to rockably mount the damper plates Within the boxing.

. BEN W. WHITE. 

